Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-18
LADIES' COLUMN.
A Quiet Talk on Home EmpIoyments,
Enjoyments and Worriments 10
Sympathetic Listeners,
Simple Neatness in Attire Preferable to
Shabby Gentility-Laces, Oriental
and Antique.
Dresses for Gamma and Daughter.
Spring Bonnets-Notes Interesting
to Ladies'.


to Ladies.
| Soon s day Of mad carnival, and Their
society retires. Is it for the modification
/ of the flesh, or in obedience to fashion ir
! ChurChly ways: There is no place IN life
exempt from the DEGREES of this goddess
who presides at the cradle, directs at the
altar and dominates at the grave; amid
scenes of solemn devotion she heSitates
not to enter, and there her mandates are
! enforced upon the seeming devotees al
another shrine. Neither are her minions
/ idle during this lenten season, but at her
| behest are busy preparing for the day OF
| glad emergence, while her followers are
recuperatfng lost energies for another
round Of gaiety. For this season there is
/ little OF novelty in fashion, and ladies are
contenting themselves in the fashioning
and selecting of such articles of their
dress as are least affected by the laws of
change. In lingerie ladies fad ample
room for exercise of taste and skill, and
in the department of house linen there
has never been time when
so much attention has been
paid to enumeration, towels,
napkins, table cloths all bearing evidence
in drawn work, hemstitching and en-
broiGery of the house beautiful. Then
there are these pretty scarfs of all ma
terial for every conceivable place, and
there is scarcely notice of fashion
able dinner without mention of scarf
extending doWa the middle of the table,
20 " 81 Mil 10
craft. A pretty design at "a recent dinner
was band of olive plush a half yard
wide, with a narrow edging on both
sides of ecru felt, on which were laid
sprigs OF chrysanthenums, white and col
ored, stems, leafs, buds and blossoms so
beautifully wrought as to cheat the eye.
Along the center were placed the beauti-
full accessories of the modern aesthetic
dinner table.
There can be no question that nice
discrimination of color and harmony
have been taught in the prevailing decora-
tive craze, and while but few women NAV
in these schools become ertists in the
strict construction of the term, it leads
to better understanding of effects, and
good taste is less often offended By glar-
ing contrasts and Ontre designs.
There is one inCongruity, however.
which arises from the pride OF "better
days" and which the "rcdnCed gentle
man" can hardly be persuaded to Law
aside and make a sacrifice at the altar of
appropriateness, the silk and satin, by
gone iuery is made to do service where
the neat-titting calico ard gingham alone
are suitable. Those fabrics come in such
pretty designs aud delicate colors as to
please the most fastidious that the cues
ton as to their adaptibility to the new
surrounding admits Of no argument, and
in these days of cut-paper patterns and
directions to amateur dressmakers, the
fashioning of pretty costumes in simple
material cannot be very difficult. This is
time of scrap economy. and the .'ofd
dress of former magniticence can be util-
lied In may ways-in pretty bags. cush-
ion covers, scarfs, and at last the small
pieces enter into the crazy patchwork.
Not even fragment of embroidery or
lace need be wasted, but can be- used in
combination for the fabrication of many
pretty and useful articles which in
genuity, once directed, will easily de-
wise. II
Lace as an addition to the feminine
toilette, can meyer be substituted, and any
attempt to do DC will always be short
lived IT'S now worn in every Conceiva-
BILE way and on all occasions. The imita-
lions are in TACT creations, and by their
beauty commend themselves to those who
cannot reach point applique, Venetian,
Duchess and thread laces.
The goods already in market give some
idea of prevailing Colors for the season.
HeliotrOpe continues in favor gray, a
new shade in pale apricot, tan color, and
exquisite tints in pale lilac, blue and rose
are choice COlors. The assortment of
light wool is said to be very large, and |.
while the cost is much reduced the GEal- |
ity and colorIng has much improved.
Dresses of these light woods .
are often made up of the plain .
WOODEN fabric alone, with killed skirt,
short tunic, full drapery in the back, and .
trim bodice, with velvet vest, collar and .
cuffs, or pointed waist, with simple sur
plice folds of the dress material cross
ing over the chest. More dressy gowns
are made with velvet additions to the /
skirt portion, or with panels and floating
loops and ends of watere1 silk. The .
pinked ruche trimmings are also much .
used to adorn both skirt, tunic and .
cOrsage.
Oriental lace is also being largely i'm
ported, and comes in sets of three width
this to be used as garniture
for wool and silk dresses.
The waists of dresses are made with an
effort toTender them as long and slim as
possible, and the shoulders as high and
square. The French modistes gain this
effect by return to the old style of shir-
ing across the chest and on the
shoulders, and the fullness drawn down
Is far as possible TO the waist and there
SHRED more closely again.
SPRING BONNETS
The earliest spring bonnets are in black
ace, lined and trimmed with satin, in
brilliant pale green, which color seems to
lave replaced the shades of red that were
10 popular last season. Fancy straws
re also shown, yelled in old pink or
eliotrope gauze and with trimming of
lowers, or of faille ribbon, correspond
ne in hue with the tulle or gauze. The {
apote shape is still in favor. A novel :
way OF putting on the strings is to have {
hem start from the center of
he crown, where they are held in place
y an ornament in Jet or tortoise l
hell. Some of the black lace bonnets !
re trimmed in front with high standing s
of some bright hued velvet, or !
lse the brim is filed in with q bias gath {
red fold of velvet, while a cluster of s
matching the velvet in I
ne is set in front of the bonnet half I
eiled in rutfles of lace. White spotted
llle and Mechlin lace are used for trim :
ling light cOlored bonnets. Some very Y
Elective limitations of antique embroid- a
ries in dead gold and dull colors on il
eutral tinted silks are employed for more /
resSy bonnets. Steel lace is one of the q